Great news: White House knew all along ObamaCare implementation impossible

posted at 9:21 am on July 9, 2013 by Ed Morrissey

Surprised by the recent waivers from the Obama administration on the Affordable Care Act? Get ready for more, writes Margot Sanger-Katz at National Journal, because the employer mandate is far from the only piece of ObamaCare that’s not ready for prime time. In fact, it might be easier to select the few components that might be ready for the implementation target date than to number those that won’t:

If you’ve been reading all the Obamacare stories lately, you might get the impression that the administration has just realized it will not be able to implement the massive health reform as designed.

It has known for months.

As far back as March, a top IT official at the Department of Health and Human Services said the department’s current ambition for the law’s new online insurance marketplaces was that they not be “a Third-World experience.” Several provisions had already been abandoned in an effort to simplify the administration’s task and maximize the chances that the new systems would be ready to go live in October, when customers are supposed to start signing up for insurance.

In April, several consultants focusing on the new online marketplaces, known as exchanges, told National Journal that the idealized, seamless user experience initially envisioned under the Affordable Care Act was no longer possible, as the administration axed non-essential provisions that were too complex to implement in time. (Read the story for some examples and commentary.) That focus has intensified lately, as officials announced that they would not be requiring employers to cover their workers next year or states to verify residents’ incomes before signing them up for insurance.

“There’s been a focusing in not on: ‘What is the full ACA vision?’ but: ‘What are the pieces we have to get running by October 1?” said Cindy Gillespie, senior managing director at McKenna Long and Aldridge, who is working with states and health plans.

Remember the impossibly-complicated flow charts produced by ObamaCare opponents to demonstrate the folly of the ACA? At the time, proponents of the bill insisted that those were just scare tactics designed to irrationally frighten voters from the benefits of change. Now, though, it’s the ACA’s supporters producing similar flow charts to demonstrate why they can’t meet their deadline:

“Bear in mind,” Sanger-Katz notes, “this chart is supposed to simplify and explain.” It comes from a consultant group assisting in the process of getting states to create the exchanges that will interface with the IRS, HHS, and other federal agencies. What it does explain is the mess that the ACA created, and how the administration cannot make it work more than three years after its passage.

Another point to bear in mind: this is the Obama administration’s signature accomplishment. For the past five years, they have had no higher priority than to make this work, which at the time of passage they claimed would be nowhere near as complicated as their critics claimed. Now they can’t even make the key employer mandate work after three years — three years in which employers and their employees have been forced to adjust to it by taking on more expensive insurance or cutting hours to their staffs.

Some smokers trying to get coverage next year under President Obama’s health care law may get a break from tobacco-use penalties that could have made their premiums unaffordable.

The Obama administration — in yet another health care overhaul delay — has quietly notified insurers that a computer system glitch will limit penalties that the law says the companies may charge smokers. A fix will take at least a year to put in place.

Older smokers are more likely to benefit from the glitch, experts say. But depending on how insurers respond to it, it’s also possible that younger smokers could wind up facing higher penalties than they otherwise would have.

Again, the administration has had three years to figure out how to charge smokers a higher rate. Insurance companies have done this for much longer than that; how difficult could it be?

If the Obama administration is this incompetent at running its highest priority, just how badly are they bungling everything else?

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But single payer is toxic with a majority of the electorate. Are the Democrats really going to run on a platform of “hey we know we f’ed everything up with Obamacare, so now we need the government to run the entire thing”?

How are the devious geniuses in the dem party are going to fix it by doubling down on single payer when they don’t have the ability to do so. Smart power ricky baby.

Liberals can scream from now until eternity about single payer socialist crap but they are going nowhere…

You’re all missing the point by a country mile, since, for some reason, you all seem to be thinking that the impending train wreck that’s coming is going to be pinned on the Democrats and that they are going to be held accountable for it.

Question: who – exactly – is going to be holding them accountable? The US news media?…which is nothing more that the Democratic party’s Ministry of Propaganda? The American people?…half of whom are now unadulterated morons?

Who?

The Democrat playbook is really very simple. All you have to do is look back at the housing bubble to see how it works:

1. Create a crisis under the guise of promoting “social justice”.
2. When the crisis hits, use the Leftists news media to deflect blame away from the Democrats so that it lands on Republicans and private enterprise.
3. Use the ginned up public outrage that’s created by the Leftist news media to hammer Republicans and win elections.
4. Use their electoral gains to “solve” the “crisis” by enacting even more govt control over the sector in question.

The point of ObamaCare never had anything to do with improving access to health care…they delusionally believe that is what will happen later.

The real goal of ObamaCare is two-fold.

The first goal is to drive insurance rates through the roof, so that private enterprise will stop providing it to their employees. The societal impact of this will be the biggest social upheaval since the 1960’s, with the middle class rising up in abject fury. And the Democrats – with the help of their media allies – plan to point that fury directly at the heads of the Republican party, corporate America, and the private health insurance industry.

When the SHTF, what you’re going to hear from the Democrats is this:

“Hey, don’t blame us! This isn’t our fault! This is the insurance industry’s fault! The reason they’ve jacked up premiums so much is because they’re greeeeeeedy and evil! And blame the company that you work for…because they’re greeeeeeedy and evil too! And most importantly, blame the Republicans…because they’re the best friends of these greeeeeeedy and evil fat cats!”

And with nary a blink, the US news media will swallow that whole and regurgitate – verbatim – for months.

The second goal of ObamaCare is to destroy the private health insurance industry, so that it can be replaced with single-payer. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Businesses are no longer going to offer health insurance benefits, since it will be more economically feasible for them to pay the associated penalties for not providing insurance. That means that individuals are going to have two choices: buy directly from private insurance companies or join a govt-sponsored health care exchange. But as I said, insurance premiums are about to skyrocket, making it impossible for most people to afford to pay directly, so most will joint the govt exchanges. When that happens, the govt will use their now massive influence in the markets to undercut and manipulate the private insurance companies until the simply fold up shop.

Everyone crying about “the American people won’t accept single-payer” is delusionally naive: once private health insurance is destroyed, EVERYONE will accept single-payer…because you won’t have any choice.

It was the mad dash made by the progressive facists at the first hint, the first scent of the opportunity to install some form of tyranny. Hooking and crooking gave them that slither of percentages to get something, anything passed. You’re pointing out all of the logical failing aspects. It matters not. It is as living and breathing as the constituion is to them.
Pointing out the black and white to those that only see gray, shading further to their immediate need or discretion, is pointless and they’re laughing at you for it.

History says otherwise. Obama’s advance team selling Obamacare with a Power Point presentation in 2008 were telling loyalists all over the country that this was the gateway to single payer, that it was designed to drive out private insurance — make it essentially untenable — and single payer would be the natural and really only option in the ensuing crisis.

President Obama has to weigh in if his next term will be enough, especially with the Republican majority in the House and obvious absence of an able successor to achieve his goals. Chances are he will see the need for a third term much like President Franklin Roosevelt before him.

For those willing to ponder, there could be any number of subtle signs of a prolonged presidency of Barack Obama one can’t ignore. After all it is not as hard as searching for a needle in the hay stack.”

If democrat moonbats win a majority in both houses…they’ll do it…cause 8 years ain’t enough.

workingclass artist on July 9, 2013 at 10:54 AM

The 22nd Amendment:

1. NO PERSON SHALL BE ELECTED TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT MORE THAN TWICE, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once…

The 22nd Amendment would have to be repealed. Congress cannot do this even if all 535 members vote in favour of it and, of course, the President has no official role in the Amendment process.

There are only four proscribed manners in which to amend the Constitution:

1. Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state conventions (never used)

2. Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state legislatures (never used)

3. Proposal by Congress, ratification by state conventions (used once)

4. Proposal by Congress, ratification by state legislatures (used all other times)

Now, here’s the fly in the Progs’ ointment: The Constitution requires 3/4ths of the states to ratify a proposed amendment before it becomes part of the Constitution. 3/4ths of the 50 states is 38. They will need 38 states to ratify a proposed amendment repealing the 22nd amendment before Obama or any President could serve a total of 10 years and/or run for reelection more than once.

Peut-être, it would be wise of Progs to cease mocking, slandering, and infuriating ‘Flyover Country.’

The ONLY way that Obama could stay in the Oval Office after 01.20.17 would be to declare martial law…and that would immediately be challenged in the Supreme Court. Without concrete evidence of a nationwide insurrection or an invasion that is apparent to a majority of Americans, the invocation of martial law to prolong an Obama presidency would be struck down. If the United States could hold a presidential election in the midst of the Civil War, the argument that Obama (or any POTUS, for that matter, since this subject was constantly raised by the Left during the Bush administration) could cancel the 2016 presidential election and remain in office is HIGHLY dubious.

Lastly, recall that the STATES decide who is placed on their ballots. Each state gets to determine whether a person is eligible to run. Without the repeal of the 22nd amendment, it is likely that a great number of states would refuse to place a twice-elected President’s name on their ballots.

You’re all missing the point by a country mile, since, for some reason, you all seem to be thinking that the impending train wreck that’s coming is going to be pinned on the Democrats and that they are going to be held accountable for it…

rvastar on July 9, 2013 at 11:14 AM

I can’t speak for others, but I don’t think that. Although the fantasy that it might has crossed my mind. But if history is any judge, it will be an excuse for more government, one way or another.

I wouldn’t necessarily say your scenario will happen. It might, but I think you’re off on them blaming private enterprise. Personally I think the Democrats are morphing into big business lovers. The propaganda will be pro-private enterprise, while in reality stifling entrepreneurs and promoting more crony capitalism. The crony capitalism will evolve into fascism. Which I guess is the same end you see.

Is it too soon to break out the axe handles and pitchforks and just go beat the hell out of these sombeeches?

44Magnum on July 9, 2013 at 11:14 AM

If a president fails to follow the letter of the law that he signed into law, how is that not an impeachable offense??????

supersport667 on July 9, 2013 at 11:15 AM

I’m kinda wait’n on Mark Levin. He’s announcing only the name of the book Wednesday on his show, probably the release date as well, and I’m betting he’s got something quite constitutional working in it that could well be the road to bringing this tyrant to justice.
God Bless America.

While everything you posted is response it true…Moonbats being moonbats and having their media watercarriers informing the LIV’s across America doesn’t mean they won’t try…It’s what the Young Pioneers chatter about.

It’s going to force people into dependence and buy big-government votes for the foreseeable future. That’s the only definition of “works” that they’re interested in. To the extent people will able to remain independent of ObamaCare it will need to be “fixed”.

Everyone crying about “the American people won’t accept single-payer” is delusionally naive: once private health insurance is destroyed, EVERYONE will accept single-payer…because you won’t have any choice.

couple of points…the media isn’t going to swallow anything since they already parrot everything they are told to and everybody isn’t as stupid as liberal dems.

People that can pay will have health care, people that can’t will be left out. I will accept that Obamacare was not intended to function since it was written by young staffers with no stake other than to advance liberal policy but that doesn’t mean “the stupid American publi” will go along with it.

The first goal is to drive insurance rates through the roof, so that private enterprise will stop providing it to their employees. The societal impact of this will be the biggest social upheaval since the 1960′s, with the middle class rising up in abject fury. And the Democrats – with the help of their media allies – plan to point that fury directly at the heads of the Republican party, corporate America, and the private health insurance industry.

The second goal of ObamaCare is to destroy the private health insurance industry, so that it can be replaced with single-payer. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Businesses are no longer going to offer health insurance benefits, since it will be more economically feasible for them to pay the associated penalties for not providing insurance. That means that individuals are going to have two choices: buy directly from private insurance companies or join a govt-sponsored health care exchange…
rvastar on July 9, 2013 at 11:14 AM

The third goal is to dump government employees into the exchanges. Broke Blue cities are already discussing this.

The overall objective is to nationalize another industry…because that’s what Fascists do.

It might, but I think you’re off on them blaming private enterprise. Personally I think the Democrats are morphing into big business lovers.

Once again: naive.

Democrats “love” big business in about the same way that they “love” the Constitution: that is, in as much as they can use them to promote their true loves, which are big govt statism and wealth redistribution. Wherever those “loves” conflict with their statist goals, they show nothing but antipathy and hate.

The goal of ObamaCare is exactly the same as the goal of Affordable Housing:

Martin Luther King was a Republican because Democrats OPPOSED civil rights. Prominent Democrats like George Wallace even blocked schools from letting blacks enter.

Before JFK, many more blacks were registered Republicans, iirc. It took some savy help from JKF to work getting MLK out of jail in Georgia in return for MLK persuading blacks to vote for him in 1960 so he could influence CONgress to act. After which, numbers of blacks registered as Republicans shrank to under 10% and pretty much have stayed that way, and the light switched on in the Dem party that the blacks could and did become an important voting bloc that could be bought with political favor….and lies.

House GOP Leadership To Obama: We Have A Few Questions About This ObamaCare Employer Mandate Delay

“Your decision to delay one part of the law affecting employers and leave in place provisions regulating individual and family health care creates many new questions and concerns. In order to fully understand the implications of your decision, please provide to Congress any analysis conducted by the agencies regarding the impact of the delay in the employer mandate with respect to:

the change in the number of individuals receiving subsidies through the exchange for calendar year 2014,

the change in the number of individuals expected to pay the individual mandate penalty for calendar year 2014,

the change in the number of employers who currently provide health care coverage, changes in federal outlays and revenues,

changes in enrollment in Medicaid for calendar year 2014,

the impact of the employer mandate on increasing the number of individuals working part-time involuntarily and business reducing the number of hours employees work to below 30 hours,

the impact on the ability of the IRS and Health care Exchanges to accurately verify and prevent fraud regarding individual eligibility for premium tax credits and cost sharing subsidies,

the legality of the decision to unilaterally delay the mandate, and the economic impact.

Please also provide to Congress your justification for only delaying the employer mandate at this time and not the new mandate on individuals and families.

We agree with you that the burden was overwhelming for employers, but we also believe American families need the same relief…”

Good start.

Of course Obama isn’t going to answer this in any meaningful way. So, what’s next GOP?

Related: Mark Steyn points out Obama’s selective enforcement of laws and unilateral assumption of the power to waive enforcement of certain laws flies in the face of hundreds of years of Anglo-American tradition. – Drew M. ASHQ

soon we’ll see some ins companies too big to fail, another tarp buys them out with no means to sell back.
it (missing sell/release back to private options) will be labeled as an accident during the bill passage and they will lament how there is no way to undo it.
but soon (8 yrs +/-) most health ins companies will be gov owned.

Everyone crying about “the American people won’t accept single-payer” is delusionally naive: once private health insurance is destroyed, EVERYONE will accept single-payer…because you won’t have any choice.

And the stupid American public will buy it.

Mark my words.

rvastar on July 9, 2013 at 11:14 AM

Once again: naive.

Democrats “love” big business in about the same way that they “love” the Constitution: that is, in as much as they can use them to promote their true loves, which are big govt statism and wealth redistribution. Wherever those “loves” conflict with their statist goals, they show nothing but antipathy and hate.

The goal of ObamaCare is exactly the same as the goal of Affordable Housing:

Crisis…followed by Demonization…followed by Govt Control.

Period.

rvastar on July 9, 2013 at 11:51 AM

Correct, that’s right out of the progressive’s traditional playbook. It’s only a shock to anyone who’s never studied political history.

I will accept that Obamacare was not intended to function since it was written by young staffers with no stake other than to advance liberal policy but that doesn’t mean “the stupid American publi” will go along with it.

The Obama Administration didn’t discuss their first-term record-breaking economic failures during the 2012 election…neither did the US news media.

The Obama Administration didn’t discuss the impending ObamaCare train wreck during the 2012 election…neither did the US news media.

The Obama Administration didn’t discuss their appalling failures in Benghazi during the 2012 election…neither did the US news media.

On the other hand…

The Obama Administration did discuss contraception during the 2012 election…so did the US news media.

The Obama Administration did discuss Bain Capital during the 2012 election…so did the US news media.

The Obama Administration did discuss Romney’s “47%” remark during the 2012 election…so did the US news media.

It might, but I think you’re off on them blaming private enterprise. Personally I think the Democrats are morphing into big business lovers.

Once again: naive.

Democrats “love” big business in about the same way that they “love” the Constitution: that is, in as much as they can use them to promote their true loves, which are big govt statism and wealth redistribution. Wherever those “loves” conflict with their statist goals, they show nothing but antipathy and hate.

The goal of ObamaCare is exactly the same as the goal of Affordable Housing:

Crisis…followed by Demonization…followed by Govt Control.

Period.

rvastar on July 9, 2013 at 11:51 AM

At some point, the amount of regulation and funding becomes outright control of business by the government. Demonization is a given; it’s an effective propaganda tool. But you’re the one being naive if you think the leftists can’t or won’t change who they’re demonizing. On the proverbial dime.

Look at wind and solar energy and electric cars. Are they demonizing those? Are they demonizing Warren Buffet? George Soros? They demonize those who don’t play ball with big government.

And you’re also being naive thinking you can predict the future with specificity. Nobody can.

“The Internal Revenue Service pays over 200 full-time employees not to conduct audits or process tax returns but to work for a federal employees’ union, according to documents released by the agency in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the advocacy group Americans for Limited Government. Forty-three of those employees are earning six-figure salaries, the documents show.

Oddly, the employees working for the National Treasury Employees Union have titles that suggest they perform work in behalf of the American taxpayer, among them “Tax Examining Technician,” “Internal Revenue Agent,” and “Tax Specialist.”

Known as “official time,” the practice is perfectly legal as a result of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. It continues even as the IRS faces financial woes — due to the sequester, the agency has been forced to close its doors on five days and has also requested more money for its operating budget from Congress.

This is not sitting right with two Republican senators, who sent a letter to the IRS’s acting administrator, Danny Werfel, requesting more information on the practice, including how employee performance is evaluated…”

I’m waiting for Michelle Obama to announce that she is running to “continue Barack’s vision”…

Khun Joe on July 9, 2013 at 12:04 PM

She’s ever as qualified as Barry, especially now that she’s been witness to what it takes to be prez. Just make TV appearances reading off prepared speeches from TOTUS, take only preselected softball questions given to the WH press corpse to ask you, host swell parties in the WH, entertain BIG MONEY donors, take three or four vacays a year to exotic locales with 3 or 4 plane loads of your entourage, follow the instructions of your advisers and sign whatever docs they put in front of you, travel the nation doing some rabble rousing campaign stops, travel in foreign lands and have dignitaries and heads of states bow and kiss your hand (one deviation from Barry), and continue to apologize for the existence of the USA.

But you’re the one being naive if you think the leftists can’t or won’t change who they’re demonizing. On the proverbial dime.

Where – precisely – have you seen me write anything that would give you the impression that I don’t understand that fact?

Look at wind and solar energy and electric cars. Are they demonizing those? Are they demonizing Warren Buffet? George Soros? They demonize those who don’t play ball with big government.

Are you really so obtuse as to not be able to see that that’s precisely the point I’ve been making?

In each example you give – solar energy, electric cars, Buffet, Soros – these “business” interests are helping to further the Leftists statist/redistibutionist goals. Every one of them. And it is only for that reason that they aren’t being demonized by the Left; if any of them showed even the slightest proclivity towards opposing those goals, the Left would turn on them like rabid dogs.

For example: what is functionally the difference between George Soros and the Koch Brothers? Both are wealthy business interests who use their wealth to try to affect the political discourse in the US. Yet, the Koch Brothers are vilified, while Soros is utterly and completely ignored.

As such, what conclusion can one draw? That loving big business has nothing to with it…it’s all about loving govt power. Those persons/interests who can help them to achieve that power are left alone…those who oppose them are demonized.

Question: What’s missing in all this deliberate and well planned destruction?

Answer: Opposition. No,the GOP is part of the plan and must continue to block the lane for any true opposition to rise to power (haven’t we yet noted the systematic hatchet job by the GOP on the tea party and Palin, Karl Rove’s next mission, the leadership whining crying and ultimately default caving, the pretend investigations, the gangs of 8, 14, the evolving RINOs, the White house meetings, the total impotence in the face of congressional dishonor by the guilty?)

Well, then Mr Obama would be just asking to be physically removed from the White House by the American citizenry. There would also be massive civil disobedience on tonnes of laws.

Who would pay ANY taxes to the Federal government if its head was illegitimate?

They can’t put all of us in prison and Egypt proves that even democratically-elected leaders can be removed from office outside the sanctioned methods.

While everything you posted is response it true…Moonbats being moonbats and having their media watercarriers informing the LIV’s across America doesn’t mean they won’t try…It’s what the Young Pioneers chatter about.

just sayin’

workingclass artist on July 9, 2013 at 11:34 AM

I didn’t say that they couldn’t try. They can try, but they won’t be successful. Obama won 28 states (+ DC, which wouldn’t have a say) in 2008 and 26 states (+ DC) in 2012. He needs 38…and, I’m not sure that he could count of all of the 26 that he won in 2012. Ohio, Florida, and Virginia were close and I don’t see any of them ratifying a ‘President For Life’ amendment.

OK, I get that ObamaCare funds abortions and Birth Control in order to kill off America’s future, but why and/or what part is Homeland Security’s buying all the bullets they can playing?

Hmmm, maybe as a last resort, if required, to use against those who oppose and resist America’s future as brought to us by Barry and the Gang. If resistance becomes open and hostile, then DHS is prepared to react…..extremely. The utopia of our future must come by any and all means necessary and as soon as possible.

It might, but I think you’re off on them blaming private enterprise. Personally I think the Democrats are morphing into big business lovers.

Yes or no?

Additionally, I understand that you’re trying to say that you think they’ll try a more tactful approach…something along the lines of “it’s time for govt to partner with business to bring about blah blah blah”. I simply disagree with that.

They will do exactly what I said: that is, hold up those who tow the statist line as examples of “bold partners in reform” while they will demonize those who don’t as examples of “out of touch, greedy bitter clingers”. But in neither instance is there any “love” for business on the part of the these Leftists…there is only political expediency and advantage.

None of that is difficult to understand, and yet you then wrote:

Look at wind and solar energy and electric cars. Are they demonizing those? Are they demonizing Warren Buffet? George Soros? They demonize those who don’t play ball with big government.

Considering that that is precisely what I had previously explained, that post is the definition of being “obtuse”. If my word choice offends, I don’t know what to tell you. Unlike the Left and the PC police, I believe in using the proper language to describe things, and I will continue to do so.

This is a feature, not a bug. The goal, from the get go, was to create something that would cause an uproar by consumers, businesses, and everyone else, and use that as the “crisis” to get to gov’t health care. As an earlier commenter said, the mantra from the Dems and their mouthpieces will be “we tried the private sector/insurance route and it doesn’t work, so now it’s time to use something really efficient and objective like the gov’t.”

Now, by allowing fraudulent sign-ups, they’ll get enough sheeple to join that it will be politically impossible to undo this monstrosity.

The only possible hope for future health care of any quality in this country might be private uninsured relationships between patients and doctors. I expect that those efforts will be squashed (a la Wickerd vs. Filburn) as soon as they start getting any traction.

Obama claimed this program would PAY FOR ITSELF!
– Name 1 (ONE) government program that has ever paid for itself? If you can’t, STOP THERE & chalk the statement up as a LIE.

Obama then claimed this program would also REDUCE THE DEFICIT!
– If you determine the 1st statement is a lie, which you should, there is no need to move on to this one. For argument’s sake, though, name 1 government program that has reduced the deficit rather than add to it. If you can’t, STOP THERE & chalk the statement up as a LIE.

Obama also declared this program would REDUCE THE COST OF HEALTH CARE.
– You don’t even have to do the work on this one: After Obamacare was passed & Obama was pressured on this one, he openly admitted that neither he nor his Congress has/had the power to affect the cost of health care. (Actually, this turned out to be a lie also – Obamacare could not REDUCE the cost of healthcare, but it sure has caused the cost to SOAR!

Obama insisted that the GOP were just trying to frighten Americans by warning of doctor shortages & deayh panels that could/would deny health care.
– There is a shortage of doctors. as far as the death panels, Obama hired as an advisor for Obamacare the man who wrote on how to ration health care in case of a catastrophe here in the U.S. – how to pick and choose who would get care and who would not. Today these same decisions are already being made as Obamacare takes effect. And now with the U.S. government admittedly collecting personal information on EVERY American citizen, the government will have everyone’s medical records with which to review your condition & decide what health care you will receive.

Nancy Pelosi, one of the ‘Servants of the People’ turned self-imposed ‘dictator’/tyrant, declared to her constituents & the rest of Americans – ‘you are NOT entitled to know what is in the historical legislation we are imposing upon you that will dictate your health care choices…you will have to wait to find out (what BS) is in it until AFTER we have passed it!’
– This is like you going to a car dealer to buy a car & the salesman tells you, “I am going to pick out your new car for you – you don’t get to pick it out – & I am not going to tell you how much that car costs until you sign the contract. Also, if you don’t buy the car, I am going to fine you (monetary penalty) for not doing so! … and you went home with the car that day after finding out it is a massive LEMON that costs DOUBLE what you were paying for the car you were driving that you really liked!

And now the salesman is trying to prevent you from breaking the deal and allowing you to return to what you had!

In the last 5 years, the U.S. government has turned into a tyranical, oppressive, intrusive Socialist, 3rd-world-nation-like, Banana Republic thanks to our Chavez-wanna-be Elitist, Narcisistic, Islamic Extremist Sympathizing Despot who promised in 2008 to ‘fundamentally change the U.S. THAT was the 1st HONEST thing he has said in 5 1/2 years!

yep, I’d say rvastar and ebrown are either koskids or defeatists. Neither are worthy of consideration.

DanMan on July 9, 2013 at 12:55 PM

I agree with some of rvastar’s initial post. But he starts off with an: I’ve got all the answers that everybody else is missing, continues with: you’re stupid, and ends with: I’m exactly right.

It’s hard not to be a defeatist to an extent. Big government has a way of getting bigger, and that’s unlikely to stop without some major upheavals. Nobody sane wants major upheavals, but nobody who cares about natural rights wants government to get bigger.

It might, but I think you’re off on them blaming private enterprise. Personally I think the Democrats are morphing into big business lovers.

Yes or no?

Additionally, I understand that you’re trying to say that you think they’ll try a more tactful approach…something along the lines of “it’s time for govt to partner with business to bring about blah blah blah”. I simply disagree with that.

They will do exactly what I said: that is, hold up those who tow the statist line as examples of “bold partners in reform” while they will demonize those who don’t as examples of “out of touch, greedy bitter clingers”. But in neither instance is there any “love” for business on the part of the these Leftists…there is only political expediency and advantage.

None of that is difficult to understand, and yet you then wrote:

Look at wind and solar energy and electric cars. Are they demonizing those? Are they demonizing Warren Buffet? George Soros? They demonize those who don’t play ball with big government.

Considering that that is precisely what I had previously explained, that post is the definition of being “obtuse”. If my word choice offends, I don’t know what to tell you. Unlike the Left and the PC police, I believe in using the proper language to describe things, and I will continue to do so.

rvastar on July 9, 2013 at 12:48 PM

The head-in-the-sand “What, me worry?” crowd is exactly the reason why we got Obama in the first place, let alone this deliberate travesty of a law.

History says otherwise. Obama’s advance team selling Obamacare with a Power Point presentation in 2008 were telling loyalists all over the country that this was the gateway to single payer, that it was designed to drive out private insurance — make it essentially untenable — and single payer would be the natural and really only option in the ensuing crisis.

rrpjr on July 9, 2013 at 11:25 AM

During his 2008 presidential campaign, Democrat Senator Barack Obama promised to bring about sweeping health-care reforms for the estimated 47 million Americans he claimed could not afford health insurance. Obama had long advocated the creation of a federally administered, government-run, “single-payer” health care system. But when it became clear that such a plan would be too politically unpopular to have any chance of passing in the form of a single, sweeping piece of legislation, Obama and Congressional Democrats crafted a bill whose aim was to pursue that same ultimate objective in incremental steps rather than all at once. The chief method of promoting such incrementalism was the bill’s call for the establishment of health care “exchanges” through which people could purchase government-subsidized coverage. Details of this are provided below, in the section titled: “How Obama and the Democrats Laid the Groundwork for an Incremental Move Toward a Single-Payer System.

The ridiculous Obamacare delays are likely due to requirements that the IT contracts only be issued to companies that are owned by gay hispanics in “under-served areas” who employ at least 50% illegal immigrants.

Sad thing is… I could see Obama attempting to create an insurrection to force the implementation of martial law. You think things will be stable after the Obamacare sends the middle-class wheeling from price increases, and the corruption continues to mount urged on by Democrats and their media? I think Obama wants an insurrection.

In April, several consultants focusing on the new online marketplaces, known as exchanges, told National Journal that the idealized, seamless user experience initially envisioned under the Affordable Care Act was no longer possible, as the administration axed non-essential provisions that were too complex to implement in time. (Read the story for some examples and commentary.)

This is what happens when people with no experience, knowledge or ability are put in charge of designing systems.

In April, several consultants focusing on the new online marketplaces, known as exchanges, told National Journal that the idealized, seamless user experience initially envisioned under the Affordable Care Act was no longer possible, as the administration axed non-essential provisions that were too complex to implement in time. (Read the story for some examples and commentary.)

This is what happens when people with no experience, knowledge or ability are put in charge of designing systems.

I see it often, just not on this scale.

Seems that Zero’s fantasies are hard to implement. I’m shocked.

dogsoldier on July 9, 2013 at 1:37 PM

His fantasy of crushing the country’s wealth and influence, on the other hand…

This just in! Payments to ACORN“Program Navigators” will begin on-time so as not to interfere with campaign support for Democrat candidates in 2014.

Expect “Program Navigators” to offer constituents voter registration cards along with instructions how to them some Obamacash regardless of whether they meet qualification requirements or not.

Once the cash starts flowing, Obama and the Dems are betting that no Republican Congress or candidate will dare propose enforcing the requirements on people already getting government checks. Game, set, match. Obamacare lives on forever.

I’ve been posting here since the day that HotAir began…coming over from Ed Morrissey’s Captain’s Quarters blog. For those who’ve been around that long, your suspicion that I’m a “koskid” is laughable.

About as laughable as you ascribing the word “defeatist” to me because I tell the truth about the fact that at least half of the US population consists of morons who are voting themselves and their families into economic and societal ruin.

Neither are worthy of consideration.

That’s the usual excuse proferred by those whose sophomoric ruminations are pierced with historical facts…as I did to yours in this thread at 12:02pm.

The truth is the truth. If you don’t like reading it, I’d recommend your local newspaper or the Times.

The head-in-the-sand “What, me worry?” crowd is exactly the reason why we got Obama in the first place, let alone this deliberate travesty of a law.

Precisely. People like fenris and danman don’t understand that Democrats and those who vote for them are not just misguided or wrong-their actions facilitate theft, immorality, and creeping tyranny. And a person who steals from me – whether it be by stealing my property via unconstitutional wealth confiscation…or by stealing my liberty via endless unconstitutional laws and regulations…or by voting those who do so into power – is my enemy, regardless of their intentions.

Again: a person who facilitates the theft of your property or your liberty is your enemy. Period. So why beat around the bush with word games and double-talk?

The reason the country is in the sorry state that’s it in is that there has been – and continues to be – far too few people on the Right who have the simple courage to call the Leftists liars and thieves to their faces. But any hope of somehow avoiding economic/social collapse hinges upon people on the Right finding that courage…now.

Hill beats Joe in early primaries …
Joe needs a ‘difference-maker’ …
Obama pulls a ‘Putin’ and agrees to be Joe’s V.P. …
The Obama ‘machine’ ramps up for Joe …
Joe takes the lead …
Hill tabs Bill as her V.P. …
2008 Redux: the Clinton’s are not enough to defeat the ‘machine’ …

Hill beats Joe in early primaries …
Joe needs a ‘difference-maker’ …
Obama pulls a ‘Putin’ and agrees to be Joe’s V.P. …
The Obama ‘machine’ ramps up for Joe …
Joe takes the lead …
Hill tabs Bill as her V.P. …
2008 Redux: the Clinton’s are not enough to defeat the ‘machine’ …

Everyone crying about “the American people won’t accept single-payer” is delusionally naive: once private health insurance is destroyed, EVERYONE will accept single-payer…because you won’t have any choice.

This is how single payer is achieved.
In fact, Dennis Kuchinich said as much when he announced he was voting for ObamaCare; he had been on the fence.

The difference is that the public hates ObamaCare – they didn’t even notice the CRA.

Zomcon JEM on July 9, 2013 at 4:33 PM

But they noticed that home ownership rose dramatically during the Clinton administration, and they loved it.

And then it rose even more under the Bush administration, and he bragged about it.

And then the whole house of card collapsed, and the man in the street was told who to blame — capitalism. And while lots of us know better, most of them believe it, and are happy to have Papa Government sit on the big, bad Wall Street bankers who have everything while we have nothing. It’s right out of a Bolshevik playbook. (Meanwhile, the bankers are actually partners in the scheme, and are doing fine. See Geithner, Timothy, and Bernanke, Benjamin.)

But that’s irrelevant. Rvastar is correct: health insurance is supposed to collapse, people will go berserk, and the government will step in and save the day. Voila! Single-payer. It was the plan all along, and certain people actually said so if you knew where to look.

Obowmacare was designed to fail for single payer to kick in which explains the employer mandate delay, to prevent business layoffs during an election year while fines can be collected to pay for this pathetic bill.

Politicians live in a world of symbolism, so the main achievement of Obamacare was to get the US to accept the principle of state control of healthcare.

The implementation isn’t interesting to them, which is part of the reason it won’t get done even close to its legal description. The notion that they were setting up for a chaos in which they would prevail with a single-payer plan is fanciful: the system is widely perceived as a failure. Only committed lunatics promote a cause that has failed using the excuse that we need more of it.

Their main idea is that they mean well and should be trusted again with your votes. Consequently, it is up to adults among the voters to selectively remove all proponents (active and passive) who enabled this massive damage to done to the economy in the politician’s quest for personal power and influence.